FANCY FINGERS OPENS UP ABOUT VEGAN LIFESTYLE & WHY MEAT IS NOT COOKED IN HIS HOME

Celebrated guitarist of Sauti Sol Polycarp Otieno popularly known as Fancy Fingers, has opened up about going vegan and why his household has embraced a meat-free lifestyle.

 In a candid conversation on the Buzz Central Podcast with Cheptoek Boyo, the musician shared his dietary choices, and why his home is a no-meat zone.

Otieno disclosed that he has been meat-free for seven years, though he hesitates to label himself strictly as a vegan. “I made a choice not to eat meat, and it’s been seven years now. That’s what they call being vegan, though I don’t like titles. That’s the space I’m in right now, I may go back to eating meat tomorrow, who knows?” he said.

His shift began in 2018 during a tour in the United States, where the heavy, meat-based diet left him feeling drained. “The food really messed me up. My energy was down, my mood was low, and I thought, ‘Let me just try eating veggies.’ The difference was immediate, I felt better, lighter, and more energised,” he recalled.

Upon returning to Nairobi, he took his health journey further by cutting out dairy and processed foods after realising they were causing discomfort. “I used to fart a lot after tea, turns out I might be lactose intolerant. Cutting out dairy and processed meats like sausages and bacon changed everything. No more bloating,” he shared.

His curiosity led him to explore nutrition, herbal remedies, and Eastern medicine, “Food is everything, it affects our energy, mood, and even our creativity. Most lifestyle diseases come from what we eat. I wanted to live at my optimum level,” he explained.

While Otieno doesn’t enforce strict rules on others, his home has naturally become a meat-free zone a decision supported by his wife. “Meat can be cooked in my house, but it just isn’t. My wife made that choice, and I agreed,” he said.